Department for International Development

Voluntary National Review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Rory Stewart: The Government has today published the United Kingdom’s first Voluntary National Review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (also known as the Global Goals). We are proud of what we have achieved but humbled by what we have not. It is not an end in itself but rather has taught us about what we must do better. It balances achievements with shortcomings and, most importantly, outlines next steps. In September 2015, the 193 Member States of the United Nations agreed the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, including the 17 Global Goals (the Goals). This ambitious agenda sets out the framework through which the world will work together to combat the most pressing challenges of our time, including eradicating extreme poverty, ending hunger, protecting our environment and breaking down gender barriers. These Goals apply to all people in all countries, including here in the UK. The Goals are not just about doing more, they are about protecting what we have: protecting the environment, protecting heritage, protecting communities, protecting health and wellbeing, protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, and protecting our planet. Our Voluntary National Review sets out the collective efforts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the Goals since their adoption in 2015. It covers domestic and international work across all 17 Goals, with a focus on the domestic. It has been produced through collaboration with, and input from, numerous UK government departments and the devolved administrations. Additionally, over 380 organisations from civil society, the private sector and faith groups, as well as many individuals, have been engaged. While we have made significant progress and have strong foundations on which to build, there is more work to do if we are to meet the ambitious targets by 2030. Conducting our Voluntary National Review has further deepened our respect and understanding of the Global Goals and stiffened our resolve to Leave No One Behind. I am grateful to all those who contributed to the Review. Electronic copies will be placed in the libraries of both Houses. The Review is available at www.gov.uk/sustainabledevelopmentgoals 


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Ministry of Justice

Law Commission Review Update

Paul Maynard: As part of its efforts to make the UK the safest place online in the world, the Prime Minister announced in February 2018 that the Law Commission was to review the current law around abusive and offensive online communications and highlight any gaps in the criminal law which cause problems in tackling this abuse. This commitment also stemmed from the work by the Committee on Standards in Public Life into intimidation in public life (a review which, in turn, was commissioned by the Prime Minister).The Law Commission published Phase 1 of their review of Abusive and Offensive Online Communications on 1 November 2018. Its scoping report can be found online at:https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/abusive-and-offensive-online-communications/I would like to inform the House that the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport have now engaged the Law Commission on a second phase of their Review of Abusive and Offensive Online Communications.This work will begin in July 2019 and will build on the analysis undertaken by the Law Commission as part of Phase 1 of this review. This found that while abusive online communications are in general criminalised to the same degree as equivalent offline offending, there remains considerable scope for reform. In particular, around the nature of some behaviour in the online environment, and the degree of harm it can cause.As part of Phase 2, the Law Commission will also consider the criminal law around the non-consensual taking and sharing of intimate images. The review will look at existing offences - for example section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act, which captures the non-consensual disclosure of intimate images with the intent to cause the victim distress - and identify whether there are any gaps in the scope of the protection already offered to victims, making recommendations to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection against the creation and sharing of intimate images without consent. This honours the commitment given in the Commons by the Hon. Member for South East Cambridgeshire during the passage of the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019.In parallel with this, the Law Commission will review the current communications offences (including section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988) to establish whether the law is fit for purpose, and make specific recommendations about options for reform in this area. Alongside this, the Law Commission will also consider whether co-ordinated harassment by groups of people online could be more effectively dealt with by the criminal law.The two strands will be concluded in a joint report, due to be published in Spring/Summer 2021.A copy of this statement will be placed in the libraries of both houses.


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Cabinet Office

EU Exit preparedness

Mr David Lidington: While the Government believes that leaving the EU with a deal is the best outcome, leaving without a deal remains the legal default at the end of the extension period on 31 October 2019. As a responsible government, we have been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of a No Deal scenario for over two years and are continuing with these preparations. This statement is intended to provide the House with an update on these preparations.We have published approximately 750 pieces of communications on No Deal since August 2018, including 106 technical notices explaining to businesses and citizens what they need to do to prepare. Our advice covers a wide range of information, from maintaining funding for EU-funded programmes to driving in the EU after Exit. To provide further advice, we have also contacted businesses directly, for example c.145,000 businesses who trade with the EU to help them get ready for No Deal customs procedures.Since an extension to Article 50 was agreed between the UK and the EU, the Government has continued to prepare for No Deal. We continue to lay statutory instruments to ensure a functioning statute book by Exit Day. Since 12 April the Government has laid SIs to address deficiencies in retained EU law in areas such as the environment, aviation safety, emissions trading and Euratom. The Government will continue to bring forward further statutory instruments to ensure we are fully prepared for Exit.We have signed a number of trade continuity agreements, including with Switzerland, a key trading partner. In addition to these signed agreements, the UK has also reached an agreement in principle with South Korea on the terms of a continuity trade agreement, through which businesses will be able to continue to benefit from existing trade arrangements. Once that agreement is signed, the UK will have signed agreements with countries that account for 63% of the UK’s current trade with those countries for which the UK is seeking continuity.Guaranteeing the supply of critical ‘category 1’ goods, including medicines, medical products, veterinary medicines and chemicals remains an essential element of the Government’s No Deal contingency planning. The Government is therefore undertaking steps to secure freight capacity for suppliers of these goods in a No Deal scenario.The Department of Health and Social Care is starting the process of setting up an express freight contingency arrangement to support continuity of supply of medicines and medical products. This will be an urgent contingency measure for products requiring urgent delivery, within a 24-48 hour timeframe, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. This express freight contingency arrangement forms part of the Department’s multi-layered approach, which includes rerouting medical supplies from the short strait crossings, extra warehouse space, stockpiling, buffer stocks, clarifying regulatory requirements, supporting traders to have all necessary paperwork in place at the border, and strengthening the processes used to deal with shortages to ensure that patients have uninterrupted access to medicines and medical products if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Government will only pay for capacity as and when it is needed and used. This will be designed to cover all of the UK. The Department will be writing to industry to set out further details of these preparations.The Department for Transport is putting in place a freight capacity framework agreement that will provide government departments with the ability to secure freight capacity for our critical supply chains as and when required. This framework does not commit the Government to purchasing or reserving any freight capacity, but it does provide a flexible list of operators and options for the provision of the capacity that can be drawn upon if needed.In the coming months, the Government will make further announcements on its preparations for a possible No Deal Exit on 31 October, including on trade continuity agreements to limit disruption to our trade with third countries after we leave the EU.Many of the most important mitigations require businesses and citizens to act. There have been hundreds of meetings at ministerial and official level to discuss preparedness with businesses and civil society groups. The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders across the UK to ensure they are ready for all scenarios. We have published extensive advice on the steps that businesses and citizens may need to take to prepare for our exit from the EU, which is available on www.gov.uk/euexit.


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